Hi!I am so confused! I have a website with my trading name which is my real name+ surname.co.uk
Today I got a message from eworld.hk (based in Hong Kong!) saying one of their customer has applied to register my name with .eu and .de
and also my name "corinnelapierre" as a search keyword!
This is what the company are telling me:
According to our working experience, there are 2 possibilities:
1. Pesyk company is a domain name investment company, they want to register these domain names before you and sell back to you to gain high profits.
2. It may be a commercial method, Pesyk company is consigned by your competitor to register, make your clients and market confused.

Now Pesyk Holdings do not want to register your trademark or domain name "corinnelapierre.co.uk", they wanted to apply for (.de/.eu) and internet keyword
you have not registered yet.

As the company whose keyword relate to the applied domain names, you will get the priority to register these domain names and internet keyword. If you think their registration will confuse your clients and harm your profits, we can send an dispute application form to you and help you register these within dispute period. This is the only way to prevent domain name grab. Of course, each company has their own idea. If you don't think their application will affect your company, you can give up, we will finish their registration.

Waiting for your reply.

I am so confused! I keep thinking it's a **** to sell me something, but then I just don't know what to think!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! My business is very small and I cannot see how it would interest big companies. It might just be a coincidence.
Thank you for taking the time to read this very long post!

You will probably get more like this....they are a completely made up company that is basically trying to get you to pay some kind of fee for services which they can't provide and don't provide...

If you already have your domain name registered just ignore any letters/emails like this...it's all complete sh*****

HTH

Jude x

corinne crazy felter

25-09-2009, 12:53 PM

Thank you to both of you! It's great to read your opinions. You are probably right.
Do you have your names registered as trademarks?

Bath-Bomb.Com

25-09-2009, 01:20 PM

I don't use my name but neither of my business names are registered as trade marks - I'm not a lawyer but my understanding is that you establish a sort of priority by the length of time you've used a name - so if someone were to start a company called Bath-Bomb.Com and I can prove I've been using it for trading purposes for longer than them then I would be seen to have ownership.

I don't know if you can register a trademark against your name (as in first and surname) unless you are Brad Pitt (or someone equally famous) - there is something in the law about their use of their own name and anyone else trying to use it is trading on their fame..

I honestly wouldn't worry about it - the chances of someone trying (or even wanting to) register your name as a domain in germany (or anywhere else) is so remote as to be implausible - I get these kinds of emails all the time...just ignore it, delete it and DON'T under any circumstances reply...

Jude x

corinne crazy felter

25-09-2009, 01:36 PM

Thank you Jude. Greatly appreciated!
Corinne x

baines

25-09-2009, 04:45 PM

Yes the HONG KONG thing is a ****, so take no notice. I get these from time to time.

Sparklez

25-09-2009, 05:59 PM

I don't use my name but neither of my business names are registered as trade marks - I'm not a lawyer but my understanding is that you establish a sort of priority by the length of time you've used a name - so if someone were to start a company called Bath-Bomb.Com and I can prove I've been using it for trading purposes for longer than them then I would be seen to have ownership.

As far as I'm aware anyone can trade under the same name as you, as long as they don't pretend to be you, or claim to be associated with you. Even If you register with Companies House, I could still set up another company called Bath-Bomb.com.

As to the original post, I agree, spam - ignore.

Carol

Bath-Bomb.Com

25-09-2009, 08:01 PM

Just incase anyone is thinking of using Bath-Bomb.Com

"Any person can object to a company's registered name if that name (i) is the same as a name which is associated with the objector and (ii) in which the objector has established goodwill (a reputation of any kind), and (iii) which is the same as the name in which the objector has established the goodwill, or (iv) if it is so similar to it that use of the registered company name in the United Kingdom would be likely to mislead by suggesting a connection between the limited company and the objector."

"In essence therefore a company who has long traded under its own company name, but has not registered that name as a trade mark, will have the general right to continue to use that name notwithstanding that somebody else registers it as a trade mark. On the other hand, a company deliberately registering under a name, in order to use that name knowing that it would conflict with an existing trade mark, would be very unlikely to have a defence. Please note also that this case deals only with the law of Trade Marks, and issues might also easily arise under the law of passing off."

Passing off is a bit like calling yourself LUUSH and making all your packaging Black, green and yellow...

jojomoz

25-09-2009, 08:48 PM

It is definitly a ****, it's not just the little people that get them I know of large companies that get hit by this as well, just ignore it.

corinne crazy felter

25-09-2009, 10:32 PM

Thank you everybody for your advice! I just got myself into a panic over nothing I think. Well that was my lesson of the day!
I am usually quite good at ignoring spams but this one really worried me! Need a nice glass of wine I think!
Have a good week-end everyone!
Cx